It’s a little chilly in Seattle, but picture yourself on the Mediterranean, in Summer with the grape ripening in the sun and the breeze floating in off the sea.  No we can’t send you there right now but on Saturday we can pour a little of it into your glass.  Brave the Arctic blast and come taste some great wines form Campania, Sicily, and Sardinia. 

2012 Colosi Bianco Sicillia $10  — Sicily
Inzolia, Catarratto, Grillo 
This 24 acre estate in Salina, a small island in the Eolian Archipelago, has volcanic soils ideal for vine cultivation.  Their Bianco has aromas of flowers and vibrant fruit, round and generous fruit flavor and excellent length.

2009 Terredora di Paolo, Lacryma di Christi del Vesuvio, Rosso DOC $15  — Campania
Lacryma Christi
Terredora di Paolo focuses on rediscovering and restoring Campania’s ancient and native varietals such as Lacryma Christi. Legend is that Lucifer when cast from Heaven, desperately grabbed a piece of it with his fingernails as he fell and placed it on earth near the Gulf of Naples. Noticing the loss, the Lord wept, and where each of his tears fell the first vines grew on Earth. Whether or not that is its true origin, the wine has intense fruit aromas of cherry, raspberry, black currant and spicy overtones with hints of minerals and cloves.  The flavor is soft and elegant, with pleasant tones of mature red fruits, plums and hints of tobacco, coffee and ground pepper.

2010 Feudo di Santa Tresa Frappato $15  — Sicily
Lying close to the Mediterranean, Feudo di Santa Tresa’s vineyards benefit from cooling sea breezes.  Frappato is a native Sicilian varietal that has a thin skin and large berries. It is a lively, fruit-forward wine when vinified on its own. The wine has fresh aromas with lots of red berries and delicate sweet spices, a smooth lively acidity, with a spicy, long-lasting after taste.

2011 Nuraghe Crabioni Cannonau  $19 — Sardinia
Nuraghe Crabioni is an 85-acre property is located in Sorso, Sardegna where Cannonau is the local variety of Grenche.. The wine has sweet notes of ripe red fruit reminiscent of Maraschino cherries under spirits; lightly spiced persistent aromas; balanced with developed structure and nuanced layers that can be attributed to its rich terroir.

2009 Azienda Agricola Cos, Cerasuolo di Vittoria  DOCG $32  — Sicily
Frappato 40%, Nero d’Avola 60%
A group of friends Giambattista Cilia (C), Giusto Occhipinti (O) and Pinuccia Strano (S) began making wine together renting their parents’ lands and harvesting, pressing the grapes, and making innovative wine and their reputations started to grow.  Their Cerasuolo di Vittoria has aromas of dried cherry, chocolate, smoke, herb and  licorice It has dried cherry, truffle and smoky flavors in the mouth and a long finish.